Emil Siepmann

Siepmann was born 25 August 1863 in Hagen, the third of nine children, to Heinrich Wilhelm Siepmann, a wood wholesaler, and Louise Siepmann (née Siepmann; 1828–1899). Among his eight siblings was Hugo Siepmann with whom he would later enter business.

The Siepmann family originally hails from the Schwelm region since the 17th century where they were primarily active in trades and agriculture. His paternal ancestors were settled tradesman in Hagen with his paternal grandfather, August Siepmann (d. 1875), being a cabinet maker. His mothers family were farmers from a privileged background.^[4]

The family was financially deprived by the downturn of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Therefore, he could not pursue academic studies and instead completed a commercial apprenticeship at Bergenthal & Gabriel in Hagen which was managed by Constantin-Wilhelm Bergenthal, a son of Wilhelm Bergenthal. After completing his apprenticeship, Siepmann served one year as a volunteer soldier on the Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment in Munich.^[5]

In the 1880s, Siepmann briefly worked at the lamp factory Wetzschewald & Wilmes in Neheim. After completing his military service, Siepmann worked in the railway industry, until his mid-20s. In the week before new years 1891, he went back to his home town of Warstein, where he was offered a position by his brother-in-law Louis Peters who had taken over the former manufacturing plant of Hüsing & Company in Warstein. They were known for producing spades, shovels, hay and manure forks forged from steel and iron. From this period the company was named Peters & Co, however the two initiators and entrepreneurs behind it were Emil and Hugo Siepmann.^[6][7][8] He was the commercial and technical director while his brother, also a partner, was mainly active in the distribution of the products. Around 1895 they employed already about 90 people and became very influential local industrialists.

Over time, the company was completely converted to drop forging. In 1916 a new hammer was built with an 85-ton anvil. That was the heaviest hammer that existed in a production plant in Germany at the time. All bridges from Soest to Warstein had to be reinforced for its transport to Siepmann's works. The company had been an important supplier to the bicycle and later to the automobile and railroad industries since the turn of the century. Siepmann was also active as a patron in his workforce and the place. In 1921, the Siepmann brothers donated 250,000 marks (equal to about 1m$ today's currency) for the construction of a children's home on the island of Norderney. He also put his skills at the service of the public when he was elected to the district council Arnsberg in November 1904 in the regular supplementary election from the electoral association of larger landowners. He campaigned for new railway connections and a power station. He was a member of the relevant commissions. From 1909 to 1929 he was also a board member of the Sparkasse Warstein.

In 1896, Emil Siepmann married Marie Magdalene Conradine (née Schuette; 1875–1941). The couple had five children of which four reached adulthood.

• Hans Siepmann (November 4, 1897 - July 31, 1919); deemed successor of Emil but died early aged 22.^[9]
• Lotte Siepmann (April 8, 1900 - January 7, 1970); married Dr. med. Carl Mueller of Soest
• Gerhard Siepmann (1904-1904); died in childbed
• Ernst Ludwig Siepmann (November 20, 1906 - April 21, 1968); director at Siepmann
• Kaethe Siepmann (February 12, 1910 - June 13, 1986); married Carl Voswinkel^[10] of Soest; four children, including Peter Voswinckel (b. 1951)

Siepmann resided closely to his brothers family as well. They shared two residences on split acreage. While Hugo and family occupied the house at Hauptstrasse 145, he owned the house at Hauptstrasse 143 in Warstein. He died only four weeks after his younger brother.